Toni Preckwinkle is a wily, seasoned politician, and she showed Lori Lightfoot a few savvy moves on election night by setting terms for the contest ahead of the April 2 runoff election.

Two attributes need to define the next mayor, Preckwinkle stated. First, she needs to be Chicago’s ambassador to the world. She also needs to be able to run the city, Preckwinkle added.

“It’s not enough to stand at a podium and talk about what you want to see happen,” Preckwinkle told a cheering crowd. “You have to come to this job with the capacity and the capability to make your vision a reality.”

As the president of the Cook County Board, and head of the Cook County Democratic Party, Preckwinkle reasonably sees her resume as a competitive advantage over Lightfoot, who lacks such major titles.

Author(s)

Greising is President & CEO of the Better Government Association. For the past 35 years, Greising has been a high-profile journalist locally and nationally, reporting on news such as the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, industrial accidents, corporate bankruptcies, government investigations, Illinois’ fiscal health, and community unrest following police actions.